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Monthly Archives: September 2012

I know, as a parent, I have made some mistakes. Everyone does. The one thing I am very careful of, is not gender stereotyping or sexualizing my kids. I will never tell my four year old son that he can’t paint his nails, or play with a doll, or that he has to play sports. I will also never tell my almost twelve year old daughter that she has to wear dresses, makeup, or needs those things to be “pretty”, or that she cannot like Star Wars or video games. Why do people feel like it is okay to send these messages to our kids? When you walk through a typical toy aisle in any department store, everything is so gender segregated. Its ridiculous. I remember playing with all types of toys, as my kids do. Recently, stores have begun to put out Halloween costumes. Its my favorite time of the year. I love Halloween. Its magical to me, to dress up and have fun, and get candy. So when I walk into the store and costumes actually have the words “boy” or “girl” on them, its so disheartening. To see that my daughter can have the choice of a short skirt, or a shorter skirt is just sad. Why?

My son, who loves trucks and cooking, painting and dirt, legos and dollhouses, can be five different types of soldier, ninja, cop, or fireman. Where’s the choices for girls? Its not a fair world, and I never expected it to be, but if enough people complain, maybe something will finally get fixed.

I can’t even bring myself to look at the “tween” costumes. Like an Adam and Eve store ad. Sick, and just awful. Wear it as an adult, fine. Stop putting 12 year olds in knee high boots and short skirts.

So, I am cruising through channels the other day, and come across, to my horror, yet another remake of a beloved childhood cartoon and movie series. Yes, I am talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I loved the turtles as a kid. I still do. I have all the movies. I had the turtle van, and all the action figures (with real karate chop action). Nickelodeon has, in their infinite wisdom, decided to do a newer version. The turtles look smooth. They’re apparently now from outer space, no ooze needed. What? Trust me, I’m just as disappointed.

In the last few years, they have also revamped Rainbow Bright, My Little Pony’s, Thundercats, Smurfs, Strawberry Shortcake, Pound Puppies, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield, Transformers, and even GI Joe. Why mess with greatness? Why feel the need to make the ponies skinnier and taller? Weren’t they cute enough? Does this lead down to the fact that now everything skinny is better? How does this affect kids watching cartoons now? Theres so many questions. I loved the original versions of all of these cartoons. I love Boomerang, it shows the cartoons in there original versions. I could deal with some of these, Thundercats and Transformers look cool, but man, messing with the turtles is just low.

My kids are growing up. I mean, really growing. My daughter will be twelve next month. Twelve! She is almost as tall as me, and of course, has hit that awkward hormonal puberty body gone crazy stage. She is slender. I think she is the most awesome daughter a person could have. Sarcastic, intelligent, funny. Amazingly well-adjusted considering her parents.

My son is four, will be five in February. He’s getting taller. He’s loud, like all four -year- olds. He’s losing that baby face. He can do everything himself, or so he says. He is learning in daycare how to write his name, his letters….when did this happen? He’s such a happy boy, always laughing and full of fun.

I know they all grow up, but it seems like it happens over-night. They learn so much, so quickly. They see way too much in society. Its difficult to keep them children in the days they’re growing up. Before long there will be driving, dates, high school, college, and who only knows what else…..

Everywhere, noise…..noise! I feel like the Grinch from the cartoon. Trying to do work. Trying to get homework done, and look things up I need. Kids running and playing. Screaming. Dog is barking. Husband is loudly listening to music. The Offspring, I love them, I do. But for crying out loud people. NOISE!!!!! Everywhere! Arg!

Its sad, I’m normally not like this. I’m the parent buying the drum set. Having a parade through the house, banging on pots and pans. The one time I am trying to concentrate, and ugh. My A.D.D. can’t take it. Like waving something shiny in my face. Or fluffy. It really doesn’t take much to lose my concentration….yet hear I sit, attempting to find something, and instead I write. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.

I just got back from Florida. It was epic, and sad. I picked up my moms ashes. Her cremated remains. What do you do with this small brown box? How does one little box contain all that a person was? My friend and my uncle went with me. My moms brother. He is amazing, and funny. We went back to his apartment, and he gave me childhood pictures of her to use in a collage.

Then, we explored Orlando. I love it. Its gorgeous. The neighborhoods, the parks, all just breath-taking. Now that I am home, I yearn for that fresh breeze. It makes me sad that we don’t have anything like that here in my small town. No free parks with live music “just because” on the weekends. My children have nothing to do, unless we go several towns over.

I work for hospice. Not a county hospice, but a small for profit hospice company. I don’t really know how I ended up here, I wanted to be a marine biologist as a kid. That being said, I’m here, and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I love my job. The people and families I meet are amazing. We are helping through one of the most difficult parts of life; death. It is never easy. At times, once the end is near, its a blessing when they go. I have the wonderfully difficult job of providing personal care to my patients. I help them bathe. I feed them. I dress them. I rub their back and hold their hand. I take them out into the sunshine, and share jokes and laughs with them. I enjoy their company, and mourn a loss of a friend when they pass. I love my job, and it has really changed my outlook on life in general. I have really found my calling. Recently, losing my mom has put me on the other side of things, but working where I do has helped me to cope and deal with things. I also have to say, I am lucky to work with the best group of people ever. I love all my co-workers, they are amazing. We enjoy each others company, and get along great. We really are a team, and take care of our patients accordingly.

I am sitting here, for the last few hours, probably driving my friends crazy posting youttube music videos on facebook. Why? I really don’t know. Sometimes I just get in a mood. I listen to everything. Really. Well, except country. I have posted everything from nine inch nails to primus, to prodigy and soundgarden. I just like music. I like it even better when its interesting, or strange. Maybe throw in a creepy video. Rob Zombie, here I come. I think some of my friends have now taken me off of their news feeds, which is cool. I understand. Maybe System of a Down isn’t your thing. Godsmack was too weird or heavy for you. All good. A well rounded music collection makes a person sound-minded. You have a soundtrack to your day. A good day? Throw in some Beatles, maybe some old 80’s Culture Club or B-52’s. A bad day? Sing along to some Janis Joplin, goes right to your soul. Feeling a bit angry? Have some Kittie, or Rage Against the Machine. I’m just rambling here a bit, I really do love all music, and you can tell the mood I’m in by what I’m listening to. I even have my old 50’s Elvis and Richie Vallez days. My life has been so influenced by the music I grew up listening to, especially going through grunge, alternative in the 80’s and 90’s as a teenager. Nirvana was amazing. It changed my entire outlook as a kid, to see that no, you don’t have to fit this cookie cutter mold of a girl, or life. I see music now and thank my lucky stars I grew up in the time I did. There is no originality anymore. Same old lyrics, same old beat. Less clothes, less meaning, less words. Makes me sad that people will not have another Tori Amos, or Trent Reznor. There will never be anything lasting and brand new, never heard.